Welcome to Litsy!

Second up in my Nov Indigenous reads — what a truly unique story it presents. A mirror of world, if dragons were real and the Norse had remained the main power in the world. Anequs‘ experience in this world, so different from her home and family, and so ripe with both casual and directed racism, is a sharp reminder of how far we still have to go. That said, the writing is somehow both simple and direct, and also lovely. There‘s a current of… 👇🏻

I‘ve been working through this despite the last few very busy weeks of school prep and just wow. Blackgoose creates lovable characters and interesting world building all while bringing an Indigenous perspective to the genre that lends a unique weight and depth to the book. I‘m too tired from my first day of school with kids to really distill all my thoughts (hence the hammock),⬇️

Finally found some books to ease my reading slump! I‘ve been losing interest with a lot of things, but the top two are books I cannot put down. I was absolutely a dragon kid, and am loving the tagged book. Blackgoose brings a lot of fresh thoughts to the genre, and I‘m really interested to see where it goes. Only thing slowing me down is my foggy migraine brain, which sometimes can‘t keep up with the magic system, but I‘m getting there.

July was an easy pick! #readingbracket2024

I‘m finding it difficult to review this book in any way more coherent than flailing.

So I guess I‘ll just do that. AHHHHH THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD YOU SHOULD READ IT

This book is great so far, and this isn‘t really a complaint, but: what‘s with the ubiquity of the “dragons emerge from the shell and immediately bond to a human who is connected to that dragon for life, and we try to control it but that‘s not always successful”? Did Anne McCaffrey invent it, Naomi Novik follow her, and everyone else follow them, or is there some older source I‘m not aware of?

I read this book because it was an independent book store recommendation for the book of the year. I liked it more than I expected being about dragons. It was so much more than a fantasy book. I think it does a great portrayal of what colonization does and how backwards it feels and is. And most importantly how completely unfair. The dragons are great too. I looked for the sequel but no release date yet, but I‘ll wait with “bated breath”.

This book was a mixed bag for me. On one hand, is has good characters, lovable dragons, and an infuriatingly realistic depiction of racism. On the other hand, I felt like the story was a little lacking and not terribly original and the naming of things was very distracting (it‘s an odd mix of the same words we use, slightly tweaked words like Anglish, and completely different ones for existing things). Between pick and so-so.

A difficult read in the sense that it is so real in the way it depicts colonial and Indigenous history, but very much worth it. A girl finds a dragon egg and becomes the first nampeshiweisit in generations. Unfortunately, the Anglish colonizers require her to go to an Anglish dragon school, otherwise she risks losing her dragon forever.

This book is a masterpiece. No notes. (It will definitely be on the banned book lists.)

Another dragon themed fantasy. This time in this magical universe, dragons and humans coexist and the elite control dragons. An indigenous, queer girl bonds with a dragon egg and reluctantly is recruited into an academy to raise and train dragons. As she navigates being an outcast and the prejudice of this world's colonizers, she will have to brave through the ignorance and change society's minds.

I thought I was going to have this finished today but I got sidetracked a bit. It's excellent though and I can't wait to see what happens next. It seems extra appropriate to post today. Let's never forget that the t-day some of us were taught in school is a myth. The cutie in the background is Waylon. We had a nice walk and training session this morning. Now we are just chillaxin. Her parents are traveling and she is my granddog.

Can‘t wait to get into this one! Thank you BookRiot Podcast for the preview!

Do you know what the sexiest thing an author can put in their book is? A pronunciation guide. I have never been more excited in my life. And this pronunciation guide is at the front of the book, not after the book has ended.

I loved this book! It is definitely one of my new favorite books!!

This YA fantasy with dragons, which is in fact an alternate European history, is an entertaining if sometimes overly long & dense, story featuring some impressive world building & a fierce, likable protagonist who wins readers over with her independence, willingness to challenge the status quo, & fearlessness in the face of discrimination. First in a series, young readers who like meaty books that tackle weighty issues will likely enjoy this one.

Starting this one today…

You must prove yourself equal to the other students of this establishment if you wish to be regarded by them as an equal. In fact, you will have to prove yourself superior in all the ways they expect you to be inferior, just to be regarded as equal. To some, you will always be found wanting. But there are people here who are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. […]You are a representative here whether, you want to be or not.”

This was a story about a nackie (Native American) being forced to join an Anglish (colonizer) school in order to keep the dragon that choose her. The book is slow in action yet insane in school bullying and others comments on Anequs, that she be grateful to be at the school to be enlightened. All she wants is to learn to shape her dragons breath and go back to her island. As her people don‘t know how to since the Great Dying attack.

Anequs finds a dragon egg on her people‘s indigenous land. To learn how to raise her dragon, she must move to a school by the very people that have oppressed and massacred her own.

This was breathtaking! Gorgeous alt-history, dragons, steampunk, charming characters, & girls kicking patriarchal colonialism in the teeth. It did feel a little rushed at the end, but with enough resolution to satisfy, but leave me interested in a sequel. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Been stress shopping books again 😬

This fantastically imagined alt-historical fantasy is full of fierce and lovable dragons, with a steampunk academia setting, a wise and courageous young indigenous woman at the helm, queer and neurodivergent rep, and so much to say about colonialism, knowledge, story-telling, and resistance! Fans of R. F. Kuang‘s Babel and Rachel Hartman‘s Seraphina, you simply must read this immersive, inventive, and powerfully truth-telling debut novel next.